Keflavík is a town of around 8,000 in the Reykjanes region in south-west Iceland. It has now merged with Njardvík and Hafnir to form a locality called Reykjanesbćr.
Founded in the 16th century, Keflavík developed due to its fishing and fish processing industry. Later its growth continued from tourism and Keflavík International Airport which was built by the US during the 1940s. The airport also holds a significant NATO military base.
During WWII and the Cold War, the base played an important role in monitoring marine and submarine traffic from the Norwegian and Greenland sea, into the Atlantic Ocean. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, however, the base's role has been cast into doubt, as there is now little threat from submaries carrying ICBM missiles.